Hydraulic system for traversing winders



Nov. 5, 1963 c. A. KUBILOS 3,109,606

HYDRAULIC SYSTEM FOR TRAVERSiNG WINDERS Filed March 10, 1961 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Char/es Hni-honq Hub lfos ATTORNEYS Nov. 5, 1963 c. A. KUBILOS 3,109,605

HYDRAULIC SYSTEM FOR TRAVERSING WINDERS Filed March 10, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Charles Rnfhonq hublloa BY g z 7, a (R ATTORNEYS United States Patent Charles Anthony Kuhilcs, Les Angeics, C

Tents-en inc. Filed Mar. 1%, Nail, get. No. 4,756 6 Claims. (ill. 2 $2--l53.

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This invention relates to winding machines and more particularly to a machine and a method for Winding wire, rod, strip or the like.

In winding materials such as wire, rod, strip or the like, it is necessary to move the material relative to the gathering element to effect the winding of the material on the gathering element in substantially ordered layers. In moving the material relative to the gathering element, it is necessary to reverse the movement of the material or gathering element for each consecutive layer. In effecting this reversal there is tendency for the material to build up at the ends of the gathering element.

In the prior art there are several systems for winding material about a spool or the like which tend to eliminate the build-up of the material at the ends of the spool. However, these prior art devices suffer from many disadvantages. For instance, in some of the prior art devices the reversal of the material or the spool is effected by mechanical means and therefore almost all of the energy in the movable element is dissipated in the frame of the machine. In other prior art devices which utilize mechanical means for effecting the reversal of the material or the spool, the energy absorbed by the mechanical means may be transferred back to the traversing element, thus necessitating the use of large and cumbersome mechanical means. When either of the prior art devices is employed in winding heavy gauge wire, fiat wire, or in large installations, the physical elements become prohibitive in size and cost.

In view of the foregoing, an object of my invention is to provide a winding machine for winding material upon a gathering element which substantially eliminates the dissipation of energy in the machine upon reversal of the traversing element thereof.

Another object of my invention is to provide a hydraulic system for traversing winding machines which effectively controls the reversal of the traversing element thereof, without the tendency of the material being wound to build up at the ends of the gathering element.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a hydraulic system which absorbs the kinetic energy of the traversing element at the end of its travel and then applies the absorbed kinetic energy to the traversing element to effect reversal thereof.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the several steps and the relation of one or more of such steps with respect to each of the others, and the apparatus embodying features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which are adapted to effect such steps, all as exemplified in the following detailed disclosure, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan View of a winding machine according to a preferred embodiment of my invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the winding machine shown in FIGURE 1;

FIG. 3 is an end view of the winding machine being viewed from the spool end of FIGURE 1; and

3d hthhiih Patented Nev. E5, 1953 his FIGURE 4- is a diagrammatic view of a hydraulic system, according to a preferred embodiment of my invention.

Referring now to the figures of the drawings there is shown a winding machine having a base 10 which is provided with rails 12 and 14 connected together by plates 16 (FIG. 3). A winder frame 18 is provided with rollers 20 which ride on rails 12. Rollers 22 are provided on the underside of winder frame 18 (FIG. 3) and contact the inner sides of rails 12 to act as a guide and to constrain the movement of the frame 13 except along the rails 12. A motor base plate 14 (FIG. 2) is attached to the winder frame 18 and supports a motor 26 thereon. A material gathering element 28, in the form of a spool with end portions 29, is affixed to a shaft 38, which is rotatably mounted on the frame 13. The spool 28 rotates with the shaft 3%, which is driven by the motor 26 through a timing belt 32 embracing sprockets 34 and 36 attached to a motor shaft 38 and the shaft 3% respectively. The rotation of the spool 28 winds the work, which in this case is wire W, around spool 28 between the end portions 2? thereof. The wire W is fed, by conventional means, not shown, to guide rolls 42 through guide fingers 44 to the spool 28. The guide rolls 42 are attached to frame members 4d by a bracket 48 which is secured to a plate 5% which in turn is secured to stationary frame members 52. The guide fingers 44 are attached to guide brackets 54 which are slidably mounted on a shaft 56 which in turn is attached to the stationary frame members 52 through suitable means, such as a plate 57. The guide fingers 44 can be laterally positioned on the shaft 56 to accommodate different sized spools.

A hydraulic cylinder 58 is secured to the base 10 through a plate 50 (FIG. 2) and the cylinder 58 is provided with a piston as which is slidably mounted therein. Integral with the piston 62, but preferably of smaller diameter, are piston rods 64 and 66 which are attached at their ends 68 and 7t) respectively to winder frame 18. A limit switch 72 is mounted on the base it by a bracket 74, preferably at a point midway between the ends of the winder frame 1%. Limit switch 72 is provided with a roller mechanism "1'6 which trips the switch when it contacts a suitable stop. Stops i8 and 8%) are attached to an assembly d2 which is attached to the winder frame 18 by way of block $4 (FIG. 3). The stop assembly includes a lead screw 86 which is operated by a iandwheel 88 so that the stops can be positioned the desired distance between the roller mechanism '76 of the limit switch 72. The steps 78 and 3f move with the winder frame 18 and actuate the switch 72 which controls the directional movement of the winder frame through appropriate means as will be described more fully hereinafter. The stops are adjusted in accordance with the size of the spool 28 so that the winder frame will move the spool the proper lateral distances.

A pump 9% is attached to the winder frame 18 by a bracket 92 and the pump is also driven by the motor as through a motor pulley 94-, a pump pulley )6 and a belt 98 connected as shown in FIG. 1. The pump 9% is connected by suitable means to the cylinder 58 through suitable hydraulic and electro-mechanical means to be described below in connection with FIG. 4. The pump 95) is preferably of the variable displacement piston type and its displacement is proportional to the traverse movement of the spool 23 per revolution. The displacement of the pump can be varied by a handwheel 1% from esentially zero to full adjustment, with the adjustment preferably being calibrated in terms of wire size. For a given wire size, the volume displaced by the pump and hence the lateral movement of the winder frame 18 is constant for each revolution of the spool 28. However the larger the wire size, the more pump displaceanon-ens ment is required since greater movement of the spool 23 is required for each revolution thereof.

A control console 102 which contains the various hydraulic, hydro-mechanical and electro-inechanical means is located near the winding machine and is connected through suitable hydraulic and electrical connections 1% to the winder frame 13. Suitable connections are there fore made between the means in the console to the hydraulic cylinder 58, the pump 90 and the limit switch 72.

As shown in the preferred hydraulic circuit of FIG. 4, the outlet 1116 of the pump 91 is connected to a spring return, two-position, four-way solenoid valve 1113 through line 1111 and a check valve 111. The valve 1% is connected to the hydraulic cylinder 58, through a solenoid actuated and solenoidreturn, two-position, four-way solenoid valve 112. The hydraulic cylinder 53 is connected to a spring return, two-position, four-way solenoid valve 114 through valve 112. From valve 114- there are two paths, one leading to a spring return, two-position, fourway solenoid valve 116, which is connected to the inlet 118 of the pump 90 and the other leading to a fluid reservoir 120. The reservoir is connected to valve 116 through a pump P which is driven by a motor M. Pump P is connected back to the reservoir 121 through a relief valve 122 with the pressure on the outlet side of the pump P being indicated by a gage G. The outlet of the valve 108 is connected to the reservoir 120 through a relief valve 124 while the inlet to the check valve 111 is connected to valve 116. The outlet 106 of the pump 96 is connected to the inlet 118 through a relief valve 126.

In operation, wire W passes through guide fingers 44 and is wound on the spool 28, which is rotated by the motor 26. The wire W is wound about the spool 28, in ordered rows as the spool moves back and forth with the winder frame :18. The guide fingers 44 are located in close proximity to the spool 28 to eliminate wire whip and assure a more even lay of wire on the spool. The lateral motion of the spool 28 is controlled by the hydraulic hydromechanical and electromechanical circuitry so that the spool will reverse its direction almost instantaneously when the wire W reaches the spool ends 29. The reversal of the spool is initiated by the actuation of the valve 112 by the limit switch 72. The latter in turn 'is actuated by contacting the stops 78 and Stir accordingly,

which stops have been set a predetermined distance apart depending upon the spool size.

Assuming that the piston 62 has just started to move toward the left (FIG. 4), under fluid pressure from the pump 90, the winder frame 18 moves to the left accordingly. Fluid pressure is exerted on right side R of the piston 62 and the left side L of the piston is vented to the inlet 1-18 of the pump 90 as previously mentioned. The hydraulic fluid under pressure from the pump 99 flows from the pump outlet 166 through valve 111, A-P path of valve 108, BT path of valve 112 to the right side R of the piston 62. The fluid on the left side L of the piston 62 is vented through PA path of valve 112, through PA path of valve 114 and through PA path of valve 116 to the inlet 11% of the pump 9t). Valves 108, 114 ann 116 are not energized but remain in the position shown by the forces exerted by the springs S. Valve 112 is actuated through a solenoid 128 by limit switch 72 to the position shown. Relief valves 122, 124 and 126 do not allow fluid to pass therethrough since they are set to pass fluid at some pressure greater than the outlet pressure of the pump 90. As the winder frame 18 moves to the left, stop '78 trips the limit switch '72 and a solenoid 131 in the valve 112 is energized while solenoid 128 is de-energized, so that the paths through the valve 112 are now BP and T-A. The fluid from the left side L of the piston 62 flows through path PB of valve 112, path PA of valve 108 and is dead ended against check valve 111. At this point fluid no longer is flowing to the right side R of the piston 62 due to the pressure buildup against the left side L of the piston 62. Instead, the fluid from the outlet 11 6 of the pump 9% is recirculated through valve 126 to the inlet 118 of the pump when the pressure increases enough to open the valve 126. The winder frame 18 keeps moving to the left due to its momentum and the fluid on the left side L of the piston 62 is compressed accordingly. This fluid absorbs the energy of the winder frame 18 as it comes to a halt and exerts this energy against the left side L of the piston 62 to start the piston moving in the reverse direction, that is, to the right. The action of the fluid to the left of the piston 62 can be said to act in the same manner as a fluid spring, effecting an abrupt and substantially instantaneous reversal of the winder frame 18. This abrupt reversal eliminates the building up of the wire W at the spool ends 29 which is of course a decided advantage. 7

As the piston 62 and the winder frame 18 bounce back toward the right, the fluid pressure on the right side of the valve 111 and the left side of the piston 62 decreases to a point where the fluid from the outlet side 1116 of the pump again passes through the valve 111, through BP path of valve 112 into the left side L of the piston 62 thus moving piston 62 and the winder frame 18 to the right. The right side R of the piston 62 is vented to the inlet 118 of the pump 90* through TA path of valve 112, PA path of valve 114 and PA path of valve 116. The motion of the piston 62 to the night continues until stop 80 trips limit switch 72 de-energizing solenoid 130 and energizing solenoid 128 so that the same sequence of events follows as previously described. Relief valve 124 is employed as a safety measure in case the fluid pressure against the valve 111 builds up to a point where the line may rupture. The setting of the valve 124 is greater than the setting of valve 126 and is preferably set at about twice the fluid outlet pressure of the pump 90.

Valves 1%, 114 and 116 are only repositioned through their respective solenoids 132, 134 and 136 when manual operation, such as for jogging, is required. During manual operation, pump 96 is not operated and the hydraulic pressure must therefore be supplied by pump P. By closing a switch in a simple electric circuit (not shown) solenoids 132, 134 and 136 are energized along with solenoid 128 and the motor M. Fluid from the reservoir 1211 will then be pumped by the pump P through path PB of valve 116, bypass line 138, through BP path of valve 1% through BT path of valve 112 to the right side R of the piston 62. The left side L of the piston 62 is vented to reservoir R through path PA of valve 112 and path PB of valve 114. When it is desired to change the direction of the piston 62 and winder frame 18, solenoid 130 of valve 112 is energized and the solenoid 123 de-energized, so that the fluid from valve 198 passes through path BP of valve 112 to the left side L of tie piston 62. The right side R of the piston 62 is then vented to the reservoir through path TA of valve 112 and path PB of valve 114.

While the description set forth above contemplates traverse movement of the spool 23 with respect to the guide fingers 44, it is obvious that the guide fingers 44 may be made to traverse with respect to the spool. This may easily be accomplished in the following manner: instead of shaft 56 being fixed in position as previously described, the shaft 56 is slidably mounted in a bushing 14%) in the plate 57' (FIG. 1). Shaft 56 is allowed to extend beyond the bushing 14!) and is provided with a threaded portion (not shown) upon which stops, similar to stops 78 and 8%, are mounted. A switch (not shown) similar to limit switch '72 is mounted upon the frame 12 in such a manner that it contacts the stops, carried by the threaded portion of the shaft 56, at the ends of its travel. The hydraulic cylinder 58 is aflixed to the winder frame 18 so that the rod 66 and/or 64 can be suitably connected to the shaft 56. The winder frame 18 and every element mounted thereon are now held in afixed position obviously eliminating the need for the rollers 20, etc. The hydraulic and electromechanical controls operate as previously described thus effecting the winding of the work W about the spool 28.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description, are efficiently attained and, since certain changes may be made in carrying out the above method and in the constructions set forth without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter con tained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

What I claim is:

1. Means for effecting relative motion between a winding machine spool element and a material guiding element comprising a hydraulic fluid pressure source, a hydraulic cylinder, a piston slidably mounted in said cylinder, said piston connected to said spool element, a check-valve, a multi-position valve, a first fluid pressure line connecting one end of said cylinder on one side of said piston to said pressure source through said checkvalve and said multi-position valve, a second fluid pressure line connecting the other end of said cylinder on the other side of said piston to the other side of said fluid pressure source through said multi-position valve, said multi-position valve adapted to reverse the connections of the ends of said cylinder to said first and second fluid pressure lines, and means for reversing said multi-position valve in response to the movement of said piston prior to completion of travel of said piston in either direction so that the pressure in said first fluid line builds up against said check-valve to halt the movement of said piston and reverse the direction of travel thereof.

2. The construction according to claim 1 wherein said means for reversing said multiposition valve comprises at east one limit switch to automatically actuate said multiposition valve to reverse the first and second lines within said multiposition valve thereby reversing the flow lines to said hydraulic cylinder, and means adapted to effect operation of said switch prior to completion of travel of said piston in either direction.

3. The invention as defined in claim 1 and further including relief means in said first fluid pressure line between said check-valve and said multi-position valve of such a character that relief is provided in said line when the pressure is in excess of that required to halt and reverse the movement of said piston.

4. A wire-winding machine having a stationary base and comprising in combination, guide rails mounted on the base, a frame slidably supported on said guide rails, a wire-gathering element mounted on said frame, a wire guide for guiding the wire onto said gathering element, operating means for moving said frame along said guide rails, a rotating mechanism for rotating said wire-gathering element, and control means for changing the direction in which said frame is moved along said guide rails, said operating means comprising a hydraulic pump having a supply line and a delivery line, a check-valve in said delivery line, a multi-position valve to which said supply and delivery lines are connected in parallel, a cylinder mounted to said base, a piston slidably mounted in said cylinder, said piston being cooperatively connected to said frame, said piston in said cylinder defining a first and a second chamber, a first hydraulic feed line connected between said multi-position valve and said first chamber, and a second hydraulic feed line connected between said rnulti-position valve and said second chamber, said second hydraulic feed line being in parallel with said first hydraulic feed line, said first and second hydraulic feed lines being on the side of the multi-position valve opposite to the side to which said supply and delivery lines are connected, said multi-position valve adapted to reversibly connect said supply and delivery lines to said first and second hydraulic feed lines, said control means including means for reversing said multi-position valve in response to the movement of said piston prior to completion of travel of said piston in either direction.

5. A wire-winding machine as claimed in claim 4 and further including a relief valve in said delivery line between said check-valve and said multi-position valve of such a character that relief is provided in said line when the pressure is in excess of that required to halt and reverse the direction of movement of said piston.

6. Means for effecting relative motion between a winding machi e spool element and a material guiding element comprising a hydraulic fluid pressure source, a hydraulic cylinder, a piston slidably mounted in said cylinder, said piston connected to said spool element, a check-valve, a multi-position valve, a first fluid pressure line connecting one end of said cylinder on one side of said piston to said pressure source through said check-valve and said multi-position valve, a second fluid pressure line connecting the other end of said cylinder on the other side of said piston to the other side of said fluid pressure source through said multi-position valve, said multiposition valve adapted to reverse the connections of the ends of said cylinder to said first and second fluid pressure lines, and means for reversing said multi-position valve in response to the movement of said piston prior to completion of travel of said piston in either direction, the reversing system being so constructed and arranged that the pressure in the fluid flowing from one end of said cylinder through one of said fluid pressure lines during the final travel of said piston builds up against said checkvalve to a pressure greater than the pump pressure to halt the movement of said piston in one direction and the resultant resilient fluid column acts upon the piston to commence its movement in the opposite direction.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,719,678 Lanstrom Oct. 4, 1955 2,846,157 Stephens et al Aug. 5, 1958 3,061,236 Lang Oct. 30, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 771,403 Great Britain Apr. 3, 1957 1,240,362 France July 25, 1960 

1. MEANS FOR EFFECTING RELATIVE MOTION BETWEEN A WINDING MACHINE SPOOL ELEMENT AND A MATERIAL GUIDING ELEMENT COMPRISING A HYDRAULIC FLUID PRESSURE SOURCE, A HYDRAULIC CYLINDER, A PISTON SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN SAID CYLINDER, SAID PISTON CONNECTED TO SAID SPOOL ELEMENT, A CHECK-VALVE, A MULTI-POSITION VALVE, A FIRST FLUID PRESSURE LINE CONNECTING ONE END OF SAID CYLINDER ON ONE SIDE OF SAID PISTON TO SAID PRESSURE SOURCE THROUGH SAID CHECKVALVE AND SAID MULTI-POSITION VALVE, A SECOND FLUID PRESSURE LINE CONNECTING THE OTHER END OF SAID CYLINDER ON THE OTHER SIDE OF SAID PISTON TO THE OTHER SIDE OF SAID FLUID PRESSURE SOURCE THROUGH SAID MULTI-POSITION VALVE, SAID MULTI-POSITION VALVE ADAPTED TO REVERSE THE CONNECTIONS OF THE ENDS OF SAID CYLINDER TO SAID FIRST AND SECOND FLUID PRESSURE LINES, AND MEANS FOR REVERSING SAID MULTI-POSITION VALVE IN RESPONSE TO THE MOVEMENT OF SAID PISTON PRIOR TO COMPLETION OF TRAVEL OF SAID PISTON IN EITHER DIRECTION SO THAT THE PRESSURE IN SAID FIRST FLUID LINE BUILDS UP AGAINST SAID CHECK-VALVE TO HALT THE MOVEMENT OF SAID PISTON AND REVERSE THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL THEREOF. 